Health Science Academy sponsors 5K4Cans fun run

Students of the Health Science Academy at Rolla High School sponsored the 5K4Cans fun run held during a snowy day Saturday, May 4.

Staff Reports

Students of the Health Science Academy at Rolla High School sponsored the 5K4Cans fun run held during a snowy day Saturday, May 4.

As a result of some recent research regarding hunger in America, the idea for a food drive became a service learning project. Students decided to host a 5K fun run with donations of food being the entry fee.

The fun run provided nearly 1,000 “kid-friendly” food items as well as a $200 donation for summertime nutritional needs of children in the Rolla community through the Rolla Backpack Program.

Faith Barnes, director of the program, spoke to the academy students about the program, which started more than six years, and shared stories of how children’s lives and learning have been changed by it.

Currently, nearly 420 backpacks are distributed each Friday to children in Rolla Public Schools that provide food for children over the weekend.

The academy thanks the Rolla Lions Club, Pepsi Bottling, Meramec Electric and John Zimmermann for their generous donations and thanks the Medical Reserve Corps volunteers for providing a first aid station during the event.

The Health Science Academy is one of Rolla High School’s career and technical education programs located in the Rolla Technical Center.

More than 130 high school juniors and seniors from Rolla and other area high schools participate in the course work designed to give students a head start in preparing for a health care career.